Dehradun, May 8 (IANS) Uttarakhand Minister Bharat Singh Chaudhary said on Friday that the popularity of Kedarnath Dham has increased significantly across the country and abroad after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s spiritual retreat there, resulting in a continuous rise in the number of pilgrims visiting the shrine every year.

Speaking to IANS, Chaudhary, also the Rural Development, Small and Micro-Medium Enterprises, Khadi and Village Industries, and Language Minister, said that more than seven lakh devotees have already visited Kedarnath this year, reflecting the growing faith and enthusiasm among pilgrims.

“Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed ‘tapasya’ (meditation) in Kedarnath, the craze for Kedarnath has increased tremendously in the country and across the world. The number of pilgrims is continuously increasing every year, and a positive growth is being witnessed regularly. Even this time, more than seven lakh pilgrims have visited Kedarnath,” he said.

Highlighting the state government’s preparations and arrangements for pilgrims, the Minister added that continuous improvements are being made in facilities at the shrine.

“There has been constant improvement in the arrangements there. Hospitals have been continuously networked and health assistance centres have also been established at short distances for the convenience of pilgrims,” he said.

The Minister also told that he chaired a review meeting at his residence with officials of all departments functioning under his authority, where progress reports of various schemes and projects were presented.

“Today, I organised a meeting of all the departments under my authority at my residence. All officials participated and presented the progress report of their departments. Almost all departments are performing very well. If Khadi Gramodyog is kept aside as an exception, the progress reports of all other departments have been highly impressive,” he said.

However, Chaudhary stressed that there is always room for improvement and directed officials to further strengthen implementation so that Uttarakhand continues to remain ahead in the country in schemes related to the Rural Development Department.

The Minister also launched a sharp attack on the Congress, claiming that it is steadily losing relevance in public life and politics.

“Congress is on the path of collapse. As a political party, Congress is continuously struggling on issues related to popularity and public interest. The party is becoming increasingly irrelevant on issues of public importance,” he said.

–IANS

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